


Childhood Wounds

by visionshadows



Series: Short Stories and Tiny Tales [3]
Category: Hockey RPF
Genre: Gen, Transgender Child
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-02-26
Updated: 2017-02-26
Packaged: 2018-09-26 22:53:35
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 589
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9927734
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/visionshadows/pseuds/visionshadows
Summary: Troy refuses to hurt her.





	

The sound of the puck hitting the dryer repeatedly and Trina’s red eyes are what finally gets Troy up from the table, absently pressing a kiss to the top of Taylor’s head as he walks past her. He’s taken too long to address the rift between Tara and the rest of the family. He’s got to make this right.

Troy watches her as she takes another shot, sloppy and angry. She’s going to hurt herself if she keeps this up much longer. He steps forward, cautious,

“Tara.”

Tara turns to look at him, her chin tilted up defiantly. He’s still not used to seeing her with such short hair, chopped off one night last week after she and Trina had fought. He had taken her to his barber to get it evened out and cut into a style she liked. Trina had been so upset.

“Come sit,” Troy says after a moment, gesturing to the couch. “We need to talk.”

“I’ve talked,” Tara spits out, retrieving the puck again. “You and Mom don’t listen.”

“I’m trying to understand. This is all new to me.” Troy sits down on the couch. “I called a group in Halifax. We can go to a meeting.”

Tara turns to look at him skeptically. “What kind of a meeting?”

“It’s uh …” Troy reaches into his pocket, pulling out a crumpled post-it note. “PFLAG?”

“I’m not gay!”

“I know,” Troy says quickly, holding up his hands. “But they said they can help. With like names of doctors. And other people to talk to.”

Tara flings her stick at the dryer, the sound of it ringing loudly in the air. “I’m not crazy either!”

“I want to understand,” Troy says after a few minutes of silence. “I don’t know what to do to make this better for you. For any of us.”

Tara wipes at her eyes and sits down on the other end of the couch heavily. Troy puts his arm out and she just looks at him. He finds himself desperately missing when she was younger and would cuddle into his side. 

“I know your Mom and I haven’t handled this very well. We just didn’t expect it.” Tara sniffs again and Troy aches for her. “I knew you were upset about something. I just didn’t expect you to tell us that you think you’re a boy.”

“I *am* a boy,” Tara hisses, crossing her arms over her chest. “I don’t think I am.”

“I know,” Troy sighs, rubbing his forehead. “I’m going to mess up a lot. I need you to be a little patient with me, sweetheart. I really am trying.”

“Mom isn’t.”

“Mom is … having a tough time. We’ll get there. All of us. The meeting will help.”

Tara looks over at him, biting her lower lip. Troy holds his arm out again and this time she slides over, burying herself into his side. He wraps his arms around her, holding her tight as she cries. 

“I love you,” Troy says softly when the tears die down. “I will always love you no matter what. You are always going to be my kid and I’m always going to fight for you.”

Tara presses her face against his shirt and shakes her head, letting out a small sound of pain. It sounds so hopeless.

“Yes,” Troy says firmly. “Always.”

This isn’t anything he could have planned for, but he’ll be damned if his little girl goes about this alone. Even if he’s got to start thinking of her as his little boy


End file.
